Atari Mania Review | Saving The Pixel Characters

Atari Mania

Our Atari Mania review covers the fun retro graphics, puzzles, and games you'll enjoy while saving pixellated characters. Read more here!

Product Brand: Atari

Product Currency: R

Product Price: R150

Product In-Stock: InStock

Editor's Rating:
4

Our Atari Mania review covers a retro arcade game developed by iLLOGIKA Studios and published by Atari on 13 October 2022. It features a collection of games from the publisher’s console titles from the 80s and 90s, with a slight twist. You’re the Caretaker, and someone is attacking the pixellated characters and transforming them into monsters.

It’s a fun adventure with new takes on classic games. It means you need to find new ways complete different puzzles and defeat each one to save the characters and titles. There are also posters to collect, adding to the entertainment.

Get ready for our Atari Mania review!

Atari Mania review story elements: an enticing tale

The classic game publisher found a new, interesting way to present its retro collection of games. Not only will you be able to experience many of the popular titles from back in the day, but they combine in a fascinating way. Let’s get started with the first part of the Atari Mania review.

A Caretaker’s tale

You play as the Caretake, doing your rounds, cleaning the Atari game museum, and making sure all is in place. There are a few odd jobs to complete, when you come across a strange pile of black dust lying on the floor. Upon investigation, you enter a level where you play some of the old games where the rules are slightly different.

As you enter each area, the monsters become more challenging. However, you realise who is behind it all (I won’t spoil it for you). It’s up to you to stop them and save the games from being destroyed forever.

Solving classic puzzles and games

With each monster you face, you’ll need to pass various levels to get to the end. What I found enjoyable for my Atari Mania review is the interesting puzzles in the building outside these levels. For example, you might need to feed cheese to a mouse to obtain a new tool. You’ll also need to find methods to unlock gates or access other locations if you want to progress.

Pixellated disaster

The gist of Atary Mania is solving what’s happening to the pixellated characters from various games. They’re being transformed, their powers stolen, as their gameplay aspects combine into new versions. It’s up to you, dear Caretaker, to restore order among the chaos.

If anything, the story should keep you interested in seeing what happens next. With about 150 levels, you’ll be busy for some time, depending on how successful you are with the Atari games presented to you.

Gameplay features for Atari Mania

Now it’s time for my Atari Mania review to discuss the gameplay elements. Playing the game isn’t too challenging, except when it comes to some of the puzzles. Here’s what you have to look forward to.

Tutorial and lessons

Whenever you come across a new tool or puzzle to solve, you’ll receive a quick lesson on what you need to do. It’s essential to learn how best to use your equipment, as you’ll need them to access locked or new areas. Every one of them has a purpose, and you’ll unlock achievements if you use them in all appropriate situations.

Entering new areas

You’ll come across locked doors or areas you can’t immediately access in Atari Mania. With the tools you’ve acquired, you’ll need to work out how to solve the area puzzle and proceed. It will take some consideration and careful planning in the later stages, but you’ll have everything you need at your disposal.

Mixture of classic games

What I absolutely loved for this Atari Mania review is seeing how the various retro games crossed into each other’s arenas. For instance, there are pong paddles where you need to protect the cowboy behind it from being hit. It was so heartwarming to see the tank appear, as that was one of the games I truly loved from the original Atari console in the 80s/90s.

Levels leading to a boss

When you face the demons, you’ll encounter various levels you need to pass. Fail too many times, and you’ll have to start over. If you still have lives but die during a boss battle, you’ll go back one level. You’ll have to reach the end and defeat the boss with at least one life to pass and progress in the game.

There are some easy levels that aren’t too challenging. However, it’s best to use a controller on your PC. It’s easier to move the parts or characters, which you’ll need to perform perfectly if you don’t want to fail. There are many times it’s all about timing, so you’ll need to be careful how quickly you move.

Atari Mania visuals and sound

You’re at the final part of my Atari Mania review. Well done for making it this far. Here, I’ll discuss the graphics and sound elements. While it may not please everyone, I was quite fond of the retro graphics and sounds. It should appeal to fans of the original Atari games.

Retro visuals and sound

As you can see in the Atari Mania review screenshots and video, you have the classic images and sounds. It features a top-down 2D presentation, with many of the games and puzzles looking like the classic Atari console games. It’s easy to see where to go and what to do, but that doesn’t mean the movement is easy.

Classic Atari posters

As you complete puzzles, you’ll unlock posters for specific Atari games. You’ll place them on various walls in the locations where you found them, but they’re also in your vault for you to enjoy at any time. It’s a fun easter egg that you’ll enjoy browsing through when you’re not too busy beating the levels.

Atari Mania review: final verdict

How much you’ll enjoy Atari Mania will depend on if you played the original titles. If you’re a gamer in the modern aga who never saw an Atari console, you must not understand the small nuances and easter eggs in the game. Still, the retro graphics and mixed puzzles are fun to encounter, and it’s easy to become lost trying to pass every level and unlock every puzzle. Sometimes, the movement and controls can be frustrating, but you just need to keep trying until you win.

Don’t forget that you can grab a copy of Atari Mania on Steam!